Raphael
THE THREEFOLD PATH OF FIRE
Vibrating thoughts for an ascent according to
Alchemy, Love of Beauty, Metaphysics

In this book Raphael presents three Branches of Traditional Teaching under their knowledge and operative aspects: Alchemy, Love of Beauty, Traditional Metaphysics. Their main purpose is to lead the individual being to the revelation of his own Essence, a process of realization that may be achieved through any one of them.
The first path, expounded by Raphael in an admirable synthesis, presents the traditional stages of Alchemy: Nigredo (“rectification”), Albedo (“separation”), Rubedo (“unification”); a comparison, with the help of diagrams, is also made to Advaita Vedanta and Qabbalah.
The second path is for those who recognize in themselves a sensibility towards “Transcendental Aesthetics” as harmony-accord with the “Intelligible World”. It is a path that follows the Philosophy of Plato and Plotinus, in particular the “Way” of Eros divine. By means of appropriate stimulations our consciousness chord learns to vibrate more and more intensely till the ego level is overcome only to find ourselves “Music of the Spheres”.
The third path is the pathway of Traditional Metaphysics, it is the path of colourless Fire; Advaita Vedanta speaks of asparsa that means “no relation” and “no support”. It is for those few who dare cross the abyss, leave the discursive limited mind behind to step into pure intellect (Noûs).

CONTENTS: Section I: Fire of Life or realization according to Alchemy – All-pervading Fire or realization according to Love of Beauty – Colourless Fire or realization according to Traditional Metaphysics. Section II: Non-desire – Superimposition – Pain-sorrow – The empirical ego – Meditation – Realization – “Rose garden” – Daring.
approx. 220 pages

Raphael
BEYOND THE ILLUSION OF THE EGO
Synthesis of a realization process

Raphael points out in this book the main phases of what he calls, in a traditional sense, the “Way of Fire”, the traditional path of realization.
In its Initiation meaning, Fire is the great symbol of transformation, sublimation and solution at the various stages of realization. The “Way of Fire” is based on an increasing awareness and experience of the fires that manifest through the physical, psychic and spiritual life.
This book presents an operative synthesis that can form the basis of every possible sådhanå or spiritual discipline. It may even be sufficient in itself for whoever feels ready to lift himself up to the realization of Being that is and does not become. For such a one just a few indications may prove sufficient to “put wings on” and fly towards freedom.
Raphael has written “Overcoming the illusion of the ego” in form of sutras, a style that is directed more towards the consciousness of the reader than to his mind. A sutra is like a flash of lightning capable, with its light, to rend the clouds of avidyå or metaphysical ignorance.
Along the text the subjects are looked at from different viewpoints; there is mention of Alchemy, Qabbalah, Vedanta, Yoga, Plato, etc. This in order to meet the readers’ different qualifications, education, mind structure and specific psychological conditions.

CONTENTS: Introduction – Awakening to the Self realization – Transcending the mind – Solution of energy conditionings – Formation of energy conditionings – Jiva within form – Glossary.
approx. 70 pages (pocket size)

Raphael
THE SCIENCE OF LOVE
From sensorial desire to Intellect of Love


The “Science of Love” is a very elevated current of Initiation based on knowledge which from time to time, or under specific circumstances, comes to the open and is again proposed.
This current had already “surfaced” in other books by Raphael: The threefold Path of Fire (chapter two, “Realization according to Love of Beauty”) and Initiation to the Philosophy of Plato (chapter “Eros philosophical ascent”).
In The Science of Love Raphael takes into consideration Love as a powerful unifying Influence which is active at the various levels of manifestation. It is Dante’s Love “that moves the sun and the other stars”, the platonic Eros capable of transporting the Soul from formal or sensible love to the intelligible Love-Beauty.
Starting from the analysis of the male-female polarity and its biological and psychological expressions, the reader is guided along a genuine traditional pathway leading to philosophical Love.
Of particular interest is the comparison between the human being’s different levels of expression and the relevant cakras, or energetic centres, of the Yoga doctrine which shows the polarities existing within the human being itself.
The illustrations of the front cover and inside the book are reproductions of Sandro Botticelli’s drawings for the “Paradiso” of Dante’s Divina Commedia.

CONTENTS: Foreword – Systems of polarities – Psychophysical and spiritual make-up of the human being – Unity-Trinity of the human being – Conception of Love – Couples at different polarity levels – Polarities within the human being itself – The configuration of the being according to the expression of cakras – Eros in Greek mythology – Platonic Eros – Love is Beauty – Glossary.
approx. 140 pages

Raphael
THE PHILOSOPHERS'FIRE
Awakening to Traditional Truths

The book comprises a series of notes that deal essentially with the traditional doctrine or knowledge which Raphael presents, as he does in all his works, from the metaphysical “point of view” and therefore in terms of Unity of Tradition.
Often the different traditional Paths are openly contrasting each other out of sheer lack of true knowledge or, to use a vedantic expression, ignorance-avidya. But this kind of “dogmatic sectarianism” can be eliminated if we recognize that the different Paths are but formal expressions of a sole Reality as the substratum of every true traditional Doctrine. The external differences in the Doctrines can be solved only by the metaphysical “vision” which includes all possible points of view that belong to the sphere of the sensible becoming.
On the other hand, trying to bring together at the merely emotional or ideal-conceptual levels the many different spiritual or religious currents, or the various initiatory schools, is a waste of time and effort; we may say, it is certainly illusory and even pathetic.
Only by a vision capable of transcending the “part”, the single “current”, we can understand the Whole (as Plato says); only from a superior standpoint we may be able to include and comprehend a lower one, and this standpoint cannot but be the metaphysical one. This includes both Being and non-being going beyond them with all the consequences that such inclusion-integration (and at the same time transcendence) is capable of producing.

CONTENT: Foreword – Metaphysics – The One-many – Philosopher, friend of wisdom-sophia – Love is philosopher – Sôma (body), Sêma (tomb) – The philosopher according to Plato – Justice (dikaios>nh) – Initiation and Tradition – The discipleship’s qualifications – Time-space and knowledge – States of consciousness – Death and rebirth or resurrection – Liberation – Non-dualism and equanimity – Good and Evil – The Philosophers’ Fire.
approx. 120 pages